


Short of Breath

by soligblomma



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Love From OQ 2019, Missing Year (Once Upon a Time), Outlaw Queen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-27 23:47:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17776526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soligblomma/pseuds/soligblomma
Summary: It's hot in the Enchanted Forest. Outlaw Queen, Missing Year, with a hint of Dimples Queen. Written for Love From OQ 2019 for phoenix_shine (Twitter)





	Short of Breath

**Author's Note:**

  * For [phoenixshine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoenixshine/gifts).



It’s hot. Uncommonly hot for the Enchanted Forest; not like she remembers. Her dresses are clinging to her body, which usually should be nice and tempting but right now it’s suffocating. She has her hair up all the time. It’s long here, like it was before the curse. Right now, as her dark hair is heavy on her head, she can’t remember why she ever kept it that long.

She’s suffering. Like it’s not enough to miss her son every day, to imagine what his life is now - without her. No, that damn heat has to consume this realm and her too.

The castle’s inhabitants try to make the best out of it. Within the castle it’s bearable, not as suffocating as it is outside. There’s always water available in the Dining Hall to stay hydrated, Granny makes sure there’s enough fruits for refreshment as well, kindly decorated as cute animals, a pear, grapes and blueberries turn into a hedgehog, a cut-up apple is now an owl and a variety of fruits look like a peacock. The children love it. They also don’t mind the heat as much as the adults. Regina can hear shrill laughter from outside where the courtyard turned into a water balloon battle field (she might had something to it with this by providing the water balloons), the grownups watching from their place in the shadows, trying not to be a target for the little rascals. 

Regina is on her way to yet another meeting with the Un-Charmings, trying to find a solution to their green witch problem, although it is really only hers, Zelena is  _ her _ sister after all. Even the big meeting room is filled with stuffy air, all drapes are closed but the powerful hot sun isn’t disturbed by heavy curtains.

They keep the meeting short, no one’s in the mood to stay even a minute longer in this room. There are no solutions yet anyway. Snow and Charming keep their eyes on the forest (with the help of a certain thief - who she doesn’t dislike that much after all) in case the winged monkeys come back and Regina spends her days in the many libraries this castle has to offer.

She exits the room with no more information than when she entered it, but now she’s more sweaty and everything is clinging to her body, fabrics and hair and all. A lock has escaped from her hair updo, falling in her face. Her hair in the back is starting to loosen too, she’s trying to get it under control when a little body collides with her legs.

“Sorry!”, the little boy exclaims, followed by an “Oh Regina,” when he notices who he just ran into.

“Hello Roland. What are you up to?” She takes a closer look to the little dimpled boy with curly hair and asks “And why are you all wet?”

“Why are  _ you _ ?”

Regina mouth falls open, ready to berate him for his question but Roland doesn’t wait for her answer and babbles about water balloons and how he hit his Uncle John right at the head, and ‘ _ He’s so mad Regina!’ _ .

Speak of the devil Little John comes around the corner, spotting the little boy. “There you are!”

Roland lets out a squeal and runs past Regina, muttering “Gotta go.” and darts around the corner.

She chuckles when Little John politely nods and greets her with “Your Majesty” before chasing after the smallest of the Merry Men.

Regina looks after them, wet foot prints covering the stone floor.  _ ‘So the balloons were a good idea after all,’ _ she thinks to herself. A breeze tickles at her neck and she remembers she was about to put her hair back up. She grunts when she feels the damp curls falling back down with every try - this will not do it. Roland was right, she’s all wet too and there’s only one solution. 

~~~

He can’t stop laughing.

Right in front of him stands the big broad man who doesn’t fear a thing, looking utterly defeating - and very wet.

Robin carries his son on his hip and is giggling along with him. In between laughs he manages to ask Roland what he did to his poor uncle.

“Nothing!” Roland giggles into his father’s shoulder.

“You call that big ball of water ‘nothing’?” exclaims Little John. He’d sound more intimidating if his hair and clothes weren’t dripping on the ground beneath him, a puddle already forming.

“Go dry off my boy, I don’t want you to catch a cold.” He lets Roland down. “Oh and bring your uncle a big towel, will you?” Roland trotts away giggling, not impressed by his uncle’s grim face.

“Oh come on, it isn’t that bad.” Robin pads John’s shoulder.

“Yeah, it wouldn’t have been if the boy didn’t run into Her Majesty while I was chasing him. You should’ve seen the look she gave me. Although she looked like she was in a water balloon fight herself.”

“Regina? In a water balloon fight?” asks Robin confused.

“No, you’re right. It’s probably just the weather and these stuffy humid rooms in here. She’s a queen and a bit more refined for a child’s play. But she did look very drenched.”

“I wasn’t drenched. I spent too long in a dark room with too warm air in it, every human being would look like this, even queens.”

The woman in question appears right behind Robin, he watches John’s mouth fall open. Before Robin could question his mate’s astonished and a bit shocked expression, he feels Regina’s hand on his back, standing next to him, handing Little John a big towel. “Roland wanted me to give this to you. Close your mouth and dry yourself off. We don’t want you to get a cold.”

Robin chuckles because it was the same thing he just told Roland mere minutes ago, so he turns to Regina to tell her exactly that but the sight of her left him dumbstruck.

Her hair.

She cut her hair.

Her beautiful long dark hair - gone. Well, not gone. But noticeably (very so) shorter. It ends at her chin now. Wavy curls fall around her face and frame it beautifully. 

He can’t stop staring.

“Robin, please. Close your mouth.” She looks at John. “We are not a codfish.”

They both do and John dumbly takes the towel from Regina. “Thanks.” She looks at him pointedly, one eyebrow raised. “Uhm, I’m gonna go now, towel off, not to catch a cold.” He stands straight, nods at Regina again. “Your Majesty.” and before he turns to leave. “It suits you.” and he hurries away.

Robin is still staring at her. “You cut your hair,” he whispers.

Regina, suddenly very shy, looks down to her feet. “You don’t like it?”

“He’s right, John I mean. It suits you very well.” He tips her head back up and pecks her lips. “You’re beautiful, Milady.”

“You think so?” she asks with a small smile. “Be honest, you looked quite shocked.”

“Just because I wasn’t expecting it.” He casts his fingers in her hair. “I love it. Can I ask you why though?”

Regina sighs. “It frustrated me. It’s so hot right now and it didn’t want to be tamed in any way. Also I wore it shorter in Storybrooke and liked it much better, it’s easier to deal with.” She skims over it with her hand until he finds his. “The long hair also reminded me of my past, here in the Enchanted Forest,” she adds in a low voice.

“I love it,” he interrupts before her mind can go darker places.

Their foreheads touch, she looks him deep into his eyes and whispers “Thank you.”

A big splash against Robin’s back interrupts their moment.

“Oops,” a young voice snickers behind him.

He looks at Regina, who’s trying her hardest not to laugh, and asks “Did my son just hit me with a water balloon?” She nods and says “Let me handle my little knight.”

Roland who obviously heard their exchange shouts “No Regina!!” and starts running because His Majesty is already chasing after him.

_ ‘Little John was wrong’ _ , Robin thinks as he watches Regina running around with his son, laughter filling the air.

The Queen is not too refined for a child’s play, it actually suits her really well.


End file.
